Chapter 125 (1/2)

Eight spotlights illuminated the stage. Standing on such a dazzling stage, the handsome young man placed an exquisite replica of a Stradivarius violin on his shoulder. But instead of playing his violin, he turned his gaze to the grand piano.

The piano provided by the Paris’ National Conservatory of Music for the assessment was a 9 ft Bösendorfer grand piano. This behemoth was so overbearing, it took four grown men to move it.

It resided on the stage even when students from the piano department weren’t playing. The school would only remove the piano after the assessment was over.

The spacious concert hall was so quiet that even the drop of a pin echoed. Everyone was staring in disbelief at the man in front of the piano.

For Qi Mu, his feelings couldn’t be described as “surprised” as much as——

Frightened.

Just a second ago, he was ready to play. But, the next, he turned his head and saw a man that should be thousands of miles away!

Qi Mu didn’t get to dwell on his surprise for too long. Min Chen raised his index finger and gently placed it in front of his nose. He then pointed to the astonished young man.

It was a simple action, yet Qi Mu immediately understood it. In the complete silence, they looked at each other and smiled. Qi Mu turned around. The next moment——

A soft and melodious tune poured from his violin.

The violin was like the warm hot springs, it dispeled the bleakness of autumn and ushered in the beauty of spring. The melody was light and soft, every note flowing with ease, as if there were elves dancing on the strings.

An even gentler echo accompanied it by the piano.

Beethoven’s 《Spring Sonata》 was a violin and piano ensemble piece. At the beginning, Qi Mu only practiced the first and the fourth movement. The first section was a light and brisk allegro and the other was a melodious tune that was repeated in a leisurely cycle. With the piano in the background, the beautiful melody reverberated in the hall.

This piece was full of whispers between the piano and the violin. They responded to each other’s voices tenderly, like close friends or a couple in love. Full of vigorous tides and surging enthusiasm, they spread the fresh breath of spring to the audience. Everyone felt the warmth of the spring breeze.

Onstage, the youth’s slender fingers were illuminated by the spotlights. The light was so dazzling that the audience under the stage couldn’t even see the movements of his fingers. They could only hear the violin flowing like a stream.

Behind Qi Mu, Min Chen’s figure was mostly blocked by the grand piano. The man watched his fingers on the piano keys calmly and occasionally raised his gaze to look at the youth not far away. His eyes were soft and intimate, but with their view obstructed, the audience couldn’t see it.

The violin uttered a whisper and the piano replied. When the violin danced excitedly, the piano happily played along with its steps.

Someone once made a comment on the piece, saying, “Beethoven’s 《Spring Sonata》 is neither difficult to play nor hard to understand. But, if you want to make the violin and piano integrate perfectly, you need to rehearse it for a long time.”

Right now, the audience thought the same.

Practically seeing the green scenery of spring, the audience enjoyed the performance and praised the beautiful sound. Although no one said it, many thought——

『They must have been rehearsing this 《Spring Sonata》 for a long time, right?』

For any piece played by two or more musicians, they must rehearse beforehand. Even if the rhythm and melody were the same, neither artist could guarantee that their music could integrate perfectly once they performed together.

One section might require the violin to be on a higher note while the piano should be playing low. Or, the violin should be a little faster and the piano would hasten after it.

Could you perform to your best potential without rehearsing?

If you say you can, no one would believe it, not even Dylan!

But… Only Qi Mu and Min Chen knew that this nearly perfect 《Spring Sonata》 was their first ensemble.

However, they performed as if they had played together countless times. When Min Chen suddenly pressed a chord, Qi Mu immediately picked up his speed. And when Qi Mu suddenly did a spiccato to interpret a note, Min Chen tacitly responded with a glissando.

Obviously, Qi Mu made some minor changes in this piece. But even if the changes happened mid-way through their performance, the other man took to it like a duck to water. He did it effortlessly and freely, adjusting and making changes accordingly, he highlighted the soaring and beautiful timbre of the violin perfectly.

When the piece reached its final section in the harmony, the audience was already immersed by the mutual dance of the violin and the piano. After the performance ended, and the first “Bravo” was heard, an unprecedented applause broke out.